Old-fashioned Pennsylvania steamed pudding with mashed carrots, suet, molasses, raisins, currants, and warm spices. Three hours of steaming yields a dense, spiced holiday treat.
Moist bundt cake loaded with grated carrots, mashed banana, crushed pineapple, and pecans, topped with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. A tropical twist on classic carrot cake that feeds a crowd.
Chewy oat crumble bars layered with a thick, glossy blueberry filling brightened with lemon juice. A nutty brown sugar base does double duty as the topping. Makes 15 bars.
Traditional Sicilian fig cookies stuffed with ground figs, dates, raisins, walnuts, and orange, then iced and topped with colored sugar. Makes 10 dozen for the holiday cookie tray.
Custard-style rhubarb pie with a vanilla yogurt filling, warm nutmeg, and a brown sugar pecan crumble topping. Tart rhubarb meets sweet, creamy filling in every slice.
Best bread and butter pickles use sliced cucumbers and onions overnight-salted, then simmered in a turmeric-yellow brown sugar brine with dry mustard. Sweet, tangy, and pantry-stable in pint jars.
Pumpkin cake with a buttery yellow cake mix crust, spiced pumpkin custard filling, and crumbly streusel topping. Freezer-friendly and perfect for fall gatherings.
Mad Mike's chili: a no-beans, all-meat Texas-style red made with cubed round steak, V8, enchilada sauce, and a mountain of chili powder. Slow simmered three hours until thick and deep.
Buttermilk pound cake with brown sugar, plumped currants, anise extract, and orange marmalade glaze. A dense, deeply flavored tube-pan cake with caramel undertones and old-fashioned charm.
Roasted cornish hens marinated overnight in lemon, fresh ginger, honey, and lemongrass. A bright, citrusy take on individual roast birds for an elegant dinner.
Papa's spareribs start in the oven and finish on the barbecue pit with a homemade sauce of smoked salt, brown sugar, ketchup, liquid smoke, and Worcestershire. Smoky, sticky, fall-off-the-bone ribs.
Whole wheat cookies with bran flakes, chocolate chips, almonds, raisins, honey, and orange zest. A hearty drop cookie loaded with fiber and flavor.
Carrot apricot casserole baked with dried apricots, brown sugar, butter, and slivered almonds. A sweet-glazed holiday side dish where tender carrots meet plump fruit and a buttery caramel-topped crunch.
Hawaiian papaya chutney with fresh pineapple, ginger, golden raisins, almonds, and white wine simmered in a tangy vinegar-brown sugar base. A tropical fruit chutney for grilled meats and curries.
Tender chuck roast soaked overnight in a whiskey, brown sugar and soy sauce marinade, then grilled to smoky, caramelized glory. Feeds a crowd with minimal effort.
Ohio angel cookies rolled in sugar before baking for a crackled, sparkly crust with a soft, chewy center. A snickerdoodle-style cookie with brown sugar depth and cream of tartar tang.